Best/Worst Films of 2018...so far

Here are my best and worst films during the first half of 2018...

Best of 2018 (so far):

1. Annihilation

2.

3.

4.

5.

Worst of 2018 (so far):

1. House on Elm Lake
2. Sheep & Wolves
3. The Cloverfield Paradox
4. The Neighbor
5. Nostalgia

(6.)       Early Man

(7.)       Deep Blue Sea 2

(8.)       Anon

(9.)       Mute

(10.)     Winchester

Other superlatives (so far):

Most Overrated:  A Quiet Place

Biggest Disappointment:  Hereditary

Best TV show:  Everything Sucks!

Worthy Sequels:  The Strangers: Prey at Night; Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Unnecessary Sequels:  The Cloverfield Paradox; Deep Blue Sea 2; Victor Crowley;                       Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell

Unnecessary Remake:  Day of the Dead: Bloodline

Commentary:  2018 doesn’t look like a very good year so far, at least not for good movies.  Other than Annihilation, nothing else was worthy enough to include on the best list.  Usually I only do five for each at the halfway point, but I made ten for the worst since I didn’t have enough for the best list.  Sadly, I could’ve actually added more to the worst list.  There always seems to be many more candidates for the worst list than the best.  I lost faith in modern movies a very long time ago.  We still have half a year to go, but I’m not expecting anything even though it would be great if there were an equal amount of candidates for both lists.  It would be even better if good candidates far outweighed the bad ones, but I don’t see that ever happening.  Yes filmmakers, I’ll hold all your beers if y’all try to prove me wrong…

---Sean O.

Best/Worst Films of 2017

2017 YEAR IN REVIEW

Best of 2017:

1.         The Belko Experiment

2.         Mother!

3.         Super Dark Times

4.         The Devil’s Candy

5.         The Transfiguration

6.         The Killing of a Sacred Deer

7.         47 Meters Down

8.         Gerald’s Game

9.         Better Watch Out

10.       Raw

Honorable mentions:   Annabelle: Creation; Red Christmas; The Void; Cult of Chucky; A Ghost Story; The Babysitter; My Life as a Zucchini

Worst of 2017:

1.         Spark:  A Space Tail

2.         Clawed

3.         The Crooked Man

4.         Absolutely Anything

5.         Beaches

6.         The Doll Master

7.         Snatched

8.         The Dinner

9.         King Arthur:  Legend of the Sword

10.       The Ghost in the Shell

           

Dishonorable mentions:  Unforgettable; Inconceivable; The Dark Tower; Easter Sunday; Woodshock; A Dark Song; The Sound; Little Evil; Baywatch; American Satan; Eloise; Temple

Other Superlatives:

Coolest Title(s):  American Satan; The Devil’s Candy

Good-but-not-as-much-as-the-hype:  IT; Get Out

Not-as-bad-as-they-said:  The Emoji Movie

Biggest Disappointment(s):  Easter Sunday; American Satan; A Dark Song

Most Unnecessary Sequels:  Stake Land II; Jigsaw; Amityville: The Awakening

Most Unnecessary Remakes:  Beaches; The Beguiled; Beauty and the Beast

Actually Worthy Sequels:  Cult of Chucky; Annabelle: Creation

Most Overrated:  IT; Wonder Woman; pretty much every Oscar-nominated movie (that I’ve seen)

Best Comeback:  Evil clown movies (they all may not necessarily have been good, but their resurgence is always welcome)

Needs a Comeback:  Good movies in general

Commentary:  As evidenced, 2017 wasn’t a very good year for movies…again!  Movies seem to go downhill each year.  There weren’t too many candidates for good films this year, but countless ones for the worst (and there probably always will be).  Who would’ve thought an animated movie about monkeys would end up being the worst film of 2017 for me, let alone worst movie I’ve ever seen?  I picked The Belko Experiment for best of the year because it’s been a while since I’ve seen a horror film that was bloody and nasty the way they should be, but also well-made and entertaining.  I liked Mother! a lot too but apparently mainstream critics were divided with it and the film was nominated for some Razzies?!!  I liked it because it was different from what I’ve been seeing lately and still managed to entertain me.  According to the Oscar nominations, people must prefer the same recycled material like Lady Bird and The Shape of Water, both of which I wasn’t crazy about.  I didn’t like Dunkirk at all.  Get Out was good but not that good.  Apparently I’m not meant to review movies on the same level as the Academy.  I didn’t see any of the other nominated movies yet, but I tend to disagree more than agree with the Oscars.  Like I always tell people, everyone is their own critic.  I never expect anyone to agree with me but I do like sharing my likes and dislikes with people that care to listen.  Here’s to 2018 being a better year for movies.  I don’t think positive nor expect anything, but it would be nice to have good movies outweigh bad movies for once…2/6/2018

---Sean O.